


Four things

by SuperEllen



Series: Little Giant Week 2021 [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi managed to free himself from Bokuto's moods only to get caught in Udai's, Canon Compliant, Colleagues to Lovers, Editor Akaashi Keiji, Insecure Udai Tenma, M/M, Manga Artist Udai Tenma, Post-Time Skip, Supportive Akaashi Keiji, Work Deadlines, Working long hours, awkward moments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:21:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29980725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperEllen/pseuds/SuperEllen
Summary: There were only three things Udai Tenma was sure about in his life: he loved his job more than anything, he despised his job with all his heart, and Akaashi Keiji was an angel.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Udai Tenma
Series: Little Giant Week 2021 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2200650
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10
Collections: Little Giant Week 2021





	Four things

**Author's Note:**

> This is not only my favorite little giant ship, but it's also my favorite Akaashi ship, as well as one of my Haikyuu favorite ships ever. I feel ashamed because I haven't written about them before, other than putting them as a background ship in one of my Bokuroo long fics. I hope this fic will make up for it, at least a little.  
> This fic was written for the Little Giant Week using the prompts: Manga/Artist, Deadline  
> I would have wanted to write more fics for the Little Giant Week, but unfortunately I'm missing a very important element: the time to do so. But I still wanted to contribute in some way.
> 
> English is not my first language, so if you find any horrible mistakes please let me know, as there is a limit to the editing I can do on my own.  
> That said, I'll leave you to the story. Any kind of feedback will be much appreciated.

In a life full of uncertainties, where anything could happen and everything could change in a matter of seconds, there were only three things that Udai Tenma was completely certain of.

_The first thing Tenma was certain of was that he loved his job more than anything else in the world._

Becoming a renowned manga artist was the dream of a lifetime coming true. Maybe his first manga, _Zombie Knight Zom'bish_ , had never gotten the positive feedback from the public that he had always hoped for, but his second one was going strong. He'd always loved to draw, since he was a kid. And being such an introvert, creating strong characters had always felt way easier than having to really interact with people. That was the reason why he had always dreamed of becoming a famous manga artist. He'd always wanted to draw a story that people would love. And he'd managed to do that with his second work.

Drawing a story about volleyball had been the best idea he'd ever had in his entire life. And of course he owed it to Hinata, the short player who had gone to high school at Karasuno hoping to become just like his idol. Tenma still couldn't understand what a great person like Hinata had ever seen in _him_ , but he still felt honored to have been the one who had inspired the younger man to play. Especially because now, many years later, Hinata was an amazing professional player, who had grown so much from that scrawny little kid he had watched play many years before in Tokyo. Hinata had become such an amazing player, in fact, that he had been the one to inspire Tenma to draw a manga about volleyball.

His manga was his baby. And just like a proud father, of course, Tenma loved his child. Nowadays, when he was drawing he felt like a kid again, back when he was on top of the world during his high school days. Drawing was making him feel more alive than he'd ever felt before. After all, it had always been one of his greatest passions. Therefore, doing it as a job was a blessing, and getting famous because of it was even more of a blessing.

How could anyone ever love their job more than Tenma loved his? It was the best job in the world, and he was so grateful for it.

_The second thing Tenma was certain of was that he despised his job with all his heart._

Working as a manga artist was definitely a nightmare. Because sure, loving his job was easy when the ideas were flawing and he was drawing one panel after the other. But those moments were actually pretty rare, because most of the time he was struggling to keep up with what he needed to do. There were times where the ideas stopped and he didn't know what to draw next, and sometimes he seemed to completely forget how to draw hands, ending up with characters whose arms ended in disgusting sausages. Those times, loving his job was a challenge he couldn't win.

There was also one particular knowledge that made him hate his job even more. He had deadlines to meet for the chapters of his manga, and as much as he tried to do his absolute best every time, he always happened to have one of his I-forgot-how-to-do-my-job episodes a little too close to one of his deadlines.

Tenma was sure that, sooner or later, his editor Akaashi was going to throttle him. Okay no, Akaashi was too nice for that, but in those moments he probably hated Tenma as much as the manga artist despised the result of his work.

* * *

Tenma sighed as he stared at the blank page in front of him. He'd been working on it for the past two hours, trying to draw something and then erasing it immediately. The marks of erased lines were starting to show on the paper, to the point that the artist sighed and crumpled the page, throwing it towards the garbage bin at the other end of the room and missing. He watched the ball of crumpled paper roll on the floor before stopping under a bookshelf; it meant that at some point he was supposed to get up and throw it away properly.

With a new piece of paper in front of his eyes, Tenma started drawing again. The problem was that he had a deadline coming up, and he was sure he was never going to meet it. He was supposed to give Akaashi an entire chapter by the end of the week, but he was still at page two and he couldn't exactly remember how to draw the main character's hair. He often forgot how to draw, when he was too nervous; and not knowing how to get to the end of the chapter was definitely making him nervous.

Letting out a loud whine, Tenma let his head fall on his desk. He hit his forehead on the surface, his long hair covering completely the blank page he was now resting on. His eyes were closed, but he opened them when he heard the sound of something being deposited in front of his face. A first, his field of vision was filled with a huge cup of coffee. Then he bent his head a little to the side in order to take in a wider area, and he found himself face to face with a smiling Akaashi.

_The third thing Tenma was certain of was that Akaashi Keiji was an angel._

"Akaashi-san?" he asked, uncertain, as he moved towards a better position, with his back straight and his face away from the table. The younger man in front of him never stopped giving him that polite smile of his.

"I thought you might need a break" Akaashi replied, his voice as gentle as ever. It was true, he definitely needed a break. But he also needed to work some more, because he hadn't gotten anything done all day. He accepted the coffee, though.

"Thank you" he whispered as he grabbed the cup of coffee and started sipping from it. He kept his head tilted towards his desk, but from the corner or one eye he was still looking at Akaashi. It was his usual way to look at Akaashi without being noticed staring. He called it the _gentle stalker_ way. Because if Akaashi had caught him staring he would have asked questions, and Tenma wasn't sure if he wanted to answer any of them.

There were many days in which he was so tired of his job that he wanted to throw everything away and just quit. The main reason why he never did anything of the sort was Akaashi Keiji. Akaashi was his editor, the one whose deadlines he needed to meet with his work. At the same time, however, he was also the brightest spot of light in Tenma's days, especially when everything else felt just wrong.

Maybe it was a stupid thought, but Akaashi was his inspiration. Just looking at him, Tenma was already feeling better, almost ready to start drawing again. Many times he would have wanted to tell as much to the other man, but he never did. He lacked the courage to talk about feelings out loud. At the same time, he knew that such a topic of conversation wasn't appropriate between two men who worked together. They both still used the _san_ honorific in order to refer to each other. They definitely weren't close enough for Tenma to tell Akaashi how much he meant to him.

Had he been able to speak freely, Tenma would have talked about that calm he felt every time Akaashi was around. He would have mentioned how much stronger and confident in his abilities he felt when Akaashi was looking at him. He would have also said how afraid he was of the other's judgment, or how Akaashi's voice was enough to make his heart beat erratically. Being around Akaashi made him feel like a teenager falling in love for the first time. But of course he couldn't say any of that.

"Udai-san? Are you okay?" Akaashi's vice brought him back to reality. Tenma shook his head, trying to stop thinking about all the things that Akaashi could make him feel just by standing in front of him.

"Yes, I was just thinking" Tenma replied. "About the chapter I'm working on" he immediately added, in order to make sure Akaashi couldn't understand the truth.

"How is it coming along? Are you almost done?" the editor asked, his voice sounding almost _interested_. It wasn't the professional interest of someone who was tasked with examining his work; it was the interest of someone who was curious to see what was happening next. Sometimes he had the suspicion that Akaashi liked his manga more than he was supposed to.

Tenma grimaced. As he was still holding the cup of coffee with one hand, he used the other to lift the blank page in front of him and show it to Akaashi. "It's coming along this well" he stated, even though he immediately felt guilty after speaking. And his emotions were probably portrayed on his face, because he could see worry appear on Akaashi's features. That made him feel even worse, to the point that he tilted his head down some more, so that his long hair could slip in front of his face and hide it from view.

"It's okay. It's just a phase, you've managed to get through similar situations before, you can do it again" Akaashi tried to reassure him, placing a hand on Tenma's shoulder and letting it caress the surface for a second. The manga artist froze immediately as he realized what was going on. As he grew stiff under Akaashi's touch, he felt the other retreat his hand quickly.

"I have no idea of what I would do without you" Tenma admitted, as he chanced a look in the direction of the younger man. The manga editor was blushing slightly, and his eyes shot wide open behind his glasses as he heard Tenma's words.

Was he stupid, or something? Yes, definitely. He'd spent too much time imagining what he would have said to Akaashi if he had been able to speak freely, and something was starting to slip out of his mouth. At least, the words he'd used could also be interpreted in a more rhetorical way.

"I just want to help you" Akaashi let out, his voice soft, almost sweet. The manga artist felt his pulse quicken.

"Why? Your job is to tell me that my work sucks. You shouldn't be so invested in me" Tenma commented, not sure if he could look at the other as he waited for a reply. Just to be sure, he kept his eyes on the coffee cup he was still holding.

"Maybe it's because your work doesn't suck. You underestimate yourself too much, and I would like you to see your own worth" Akaashi replied. It was now Tenma's turn to blush. Biting at his lower lip, he raised his head and immediately realized that it had been a mistake. Because the moment his eyes met Akaashi's he felt lost. He was too weak to just stay there and listen to that _angel_ say such nice things about him without risking to lose control.

Angel. Yes, that was exactly what Akaashi was. Beautiful, with delicate and elegant features, always so gentle and kind. Akaashi was perfect. And now he was smiling at Tenma as their eyes were still locked. So Tenma did something stupid.

Without even giving his actions a single thought, he deposited the cup of coffee on his desk, stood up and took a couple of short steps, until he was standing in front of the younger man. Considering their height difference, he had to tilt his head back in order to keep the eye contact from such a short distance. As soon as he got in Akaashi's personal space, Tenma leaned his head forward, going to rest his forehead against the other's left shoulder.

From that position, he felt his own heart speed up. It was beating so fast that it was making it difficult for him to hear his own thoughts. He was a moron! What he was doing was inappropriate, Akaashi had every right to push him away and tell him not to touch him ever again.

Instead, Akaashi did something else entirely. He raised both arms in order to wrap them around Tenma's body, holding him still. With Akaashi's arms around him, he couldn't move anymore. All he could do was stand there, enveloped in an embrace he had never imagined possible. So slowly he raised his trembling arms, until they wrapped around Akaashi as well. A second later, however, he was already afraid that he had overstepped. That was probably the moment Akaashi was going to tell him to get away. On the contrary, the younger man held him closer and hid his face in Tenma's hair.

It was surreal, to the point that Tenma could barely believe it was even happening. How was it possible? Akaashi was _hugging_ him. Did it mean that he cared? Did it mean that Tenma had a chance? He didn't even want to bring himself to hope. He started shivering in anticipation, as he tried to think about his next move. The muscles of Akaashi's arms contracted around him.

"It's okay. I'm here for you" Akaashi whispered. He was trying to reassure Tenma, probably thinking he was having a meltdown or something like that. The editor had no idea of what was actually going through Tenma's head in that moment.

Part of Tenma wanted to egotistically bask in the feeling of warmth that those words were awakening in him. At the same time, however, he didn't want to take advantage of Akaashi's kindness. That was the reason why he moved his head from the comfortable spot where it was resting and tilted it back as much as was needed in order to lock eyes with Akaashi.

"Thank you, I-" he started saying, hesitating immediately. He took a deep breath before he continued. "Having you around makes me feel better" he continued, feeling like a fool the moment he finished speaking. That sentence sounded less stupid in his head.

"Does it mean that you can finish that chapter before the deadline, if I stay around?" Akaashi asked, and Tenma soon realized that the other was smiling gently at him. Which was definitely weird, considering that they were still holding each other. But Akaashi wasn't pulling back, and that realization sent a jolt of adrenaline through Tenma's body, making him feel more confident.

"It depends: will you be my muse?" the manga artist dared ask, smiling as well. Had Akaashi not appreciated the idea, he could have easily made it pass as a joke.

"I'd be honored to be the muse of my favorite artist" the younger man replied, a gentle smile still curving his lips. In an instant, Tenma's face overheated, so now he was sure that he was blushing from his neck to the tip of his ears. Mouth slightly agape, Tenma was staring at his editor like a lovestruck idiot. But yet again, Akaashi wasn't pulling back. On the contrary, he chuckled at the sight of his blush. He wasn't making fun of Tenma though, because the look in his eyes was affectionate.

Was it even possible? Could it be? Feeling his heart racing in his ears, Tenma decided that it was worth a try. Therefore, with a quick movement he surged on his tiptoes, closed his eyes and let his lips crash against Akaashi's. For a second he wished he could take that gesture back, but it didn't last for long. Because soon after Akaashi was pressing back towards him, lips moving against his. Akaashi was kissing him back.

The sensation was so incredible that it made his head spin. He would have probably fallen, if he hadn't had Akaashi's arms still wrapped around him. As he parted his lips to deepen the kiss, Tenma felt like he could draw the rest of the manga all in one go. Because Akaashi was _kissing him_ , so he could do anything. Tenma was always full of insecurities, but Akaashi could make him feel invincible.

After all, there was a fourth thing Udai Tenma was certain of: _he was madly in love with Akaashi Keiji._

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to talk about Haikyuu, you can find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/SuperEllen4)! I mostly post Bokuroo stuff, but I'm open to almost all Haikyuu ships and characters. Especially the most underrated ones.


End file.
